Steam shovel



Aug. 2, 1927. 1,637,689

J. P. ENDERSBY STEAM SHOVEL Filed May 10- 1926 IN VENTO'R doss fi PIERCE ENDEESBY ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES! aosnrn PiERCE nNnEas Y, or VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA;

STEAM snovnn Application filed ma o, 192 s." scim1 No. 108,101.

My inventionrelates to improvements in steam shovels the objects of which are to provide mechanically operated means for releasing the bottom of the bucket to dump the load.

The invention consists essentially of a cylinder suitably mounted upon the bucket and a piston operated bell crank for withdrawing the bolt of the bucket bottom, as will be more fully described in the following specification, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the bucket showing the latch operating means.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the bucket.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of the power cylinder.

' In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral 1 indicates the handle of a power driven shovel having a shovel or bucket 2 suitably mounted in its outer end which is provided with the usual lifting bale 3. The numeral 4 indicates the bottom closure of the bucket which is connected to the rear wall 5 of the bucket on a pair of hinges 6, and is provided with a slidable bolt 7 which is adapted to engage an apertured latch plate 8 secured to the front wall 9 of the bucket. The bolt 7 is provided at its rear end with an upturned lug 10, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The numeral 11 indicates a cylinder, see

' Figure 3. which is preferably mounted on the rear wall 5 of the bucket 2, though it may be mounted on the handle 1 if desired. The cylinder 11 is provided with an inlet port 12 having a suitable feed pipe 13 through which compressed. air, steam or other pressure is admitted and discharged through a three way valve mounted within convenient reach of the operator. cates a piston having a connecting rod 15, and 16 is a spring, having a removable abutment ring 17 at one end, mounted within the cylinder casting, its opposite end bearing upon the outer end of the piston 14 ,for the purpose of returning it into normal or inop-' erative position within the cylinder.

The numeral 18 indicates a bell crank fulcrumed upon a bearing 19' carried upon the rear wall 5 of the bucket, the upper leg 20 of which is connected to the outer end of the connecting rod 15 to be operated thereby and the lower leg 21 is provided with a transversely mounted pin 22 which forms a stop The numeral 14 indifor a cranked finger 23 fulcrumed adjacent the lower end of the leg 21 which is adapted,

as the bell crank is returned to normal position, to fall between the pin 22 and the upturned lug 10 of the bolt 7.

Having thus described the several parts of my invention'I will now briefly explain its use.

WVhen the filled bucket has been swung into position for dumping, the operator of the shovel actuates his three way valve as required to deliver fluid pressure into the cylinder 11 to bear upon the piston 14' and drive it forward against its spring 16 which it compresses. The piston .movement actuates, through the connecting rod 15, the

bell crank 18, causing the lower leg 21 thereof to bringthe cranked finger 23 into contact with the lug 10, withdrawing the bolt 7 from the latch plate 8 on the front wall of the bucket, thus releasing the door 4 which swings downwards on its hinges 6 permitting the load to be discharged. Immediately followingthe dumping of the bucket the control valve is actuated to release the pressure in the cylinder 11 permitting the pent upforce of the spring 16 toreturn the piston 14 to normal position and to return the lower leg 21 of the bell crank 18 into close proximity with the rear wall of the bucket as shown.

Should the bucket be position as to close the bottom 4, which action is effected by gravity in the usual manswung into such a ner prior to the final return movement of the bell crank 20, the cranked finger23 will lift over the top of the lug 10, finally dropping into normal position against the pin 22 ready for further use in withdrawing the bolt.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An opening device for power shovel buckets having a hinged door forming a bottom closure and a slidable bolt adapted to hold the door in closed position comprising a bell crank mounted on the bucket, power operated means for actuating the crank, a lug upon the rear end of the bolt and a finger pivotally mounted upon the bell crank adapted to engage the lug to withdraw the bolt when the crank is moved in one direction and to pass freely body oftlie lo'lioket tothereby'secnre the'dooiin closed position, a member projecting laterally from said bolt, a lever pivoted to the bucket, a stopcarried by the lever, a finger pivoted to the lever and normally resting against said stop, said finger being norniafilly:

of thelever in one direction and means, for operating sai'ddeve'r;

Q Dqte d at Vancouver, B. (1., this 13th day dfep'rir eee. t

'JosEPHPInRoE ENDERSBY. 

